Time Warner – Apple subscription TV service in development

Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes said he is “pretty confident” Apple will be launching a subscription streaming TV service in the near future, saying Apple is “very forward-thinking about television.”

Before his death, Steve Jobs said Apple was working looking at TV.

“I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”

Over recent months, Australians have seen Network Ten’s TenPlay service added to the Apple TV, Netflix and several other streaming services launch to the Apple TV.

HBO recently partnered with Apple to launch HBO Now as a three-month exclusive for iOS and Apple TV devices.

The latest rumours suggest Apple is preparing a streaming TV service for launch later this year. During an Apple earnings call on Monday, CEO Tim Cook fuelled these rumours saying “major, major changes in media” are coming. There have been reports suggesting Apple is working on a channel bundle that should cost between $30 and $40 a month, competing against incumbent cable service providers.

WWDC looks to be the next, best opportunity Apple has for announcing such a service and a revamped Apple TV box. We’d not be surprised to see a return to an Apple TV with integrated storage.